Why today’s political climate
is basically the 1980s

> Populism and extremism dominates the developed world

Colten Kamlade
Senior Columnist

 

n Canada, Trudeau leads a majority
Liberal government that still divides
Canadian ideologies, particularly
in the west. South of the border, a
controversial Republican celebrity has
just become president, promising to
lead the country to a stronger future.
In the UK, foreign tensions and a
struggling economy lean heavily on a
female conservative prime minister.
2017? More like 1981, when Pierre
Trudeau, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret
Thatcher dominated English-speaking
society. Of course, history has repeated
itself, and the current political
climate is basically the same thing.
Populism is the political philosophy
that the privileged elite dominate over
the working class, and that there is a
hope of power returning to the people.
While it exists on all sides of the
spectrum, it is often used by
conservatives as a justification
for limited government and
allowing personal freedoms.
Many of the struggles
that happened in the 1980s
are social issues that remain
relevant today. With the advent

revived. Electronic music. Star Wars
and Ghostbusters leading at the
box office. Fashion styles of neon
and high-waisted jeans are popular
again. Colourful hair dye is abundant.
Uz is still one of the most popular
bands in the world... somehow.
Societal atmospheres and attitudes
in the 80s
were not
all that

of AIDS, gay people looked to have their
rights recognized and protected across
society. Women’s rights to abortion and
birth control were challenged and fought
for despite their legality. As always, the
rights of the working class compared

to the elite remained a serious concern.
Wages and income inequality have only

become more
harmful since.
a

It’s not

  
 
 
 
 
 
  

just the
political
climate.
What was
cool in the
80s has
also been

   
 
 
 
  
 

   

 

Illustration by Ed Appleby

Don't be a Grammar Nazi, but
don't use that term, either

> Why policing grammar isn’t the same as the SS

Cazzy Lewchuk
Opinions Editor

 

pres grammar is essential. Asa

professional writer and a student

of creative writing, a misspelled word

or a badly phrased sentence can drive

me crazy. I don't know all the finer

points of English structure, but I do

know the difference between their,

there, and they’re. When the wrong

one is used, I die a little on the inside.
People correct others’ grammar to

feel better about themselves. Nobody

ever feels good when they have their own

grammar corrected—it is basically like

being told you are not speaking a language

properly. The intent is often to annoy

or taunt the one who's being corrected.

Who hasn‘t been in an argument online

and responded “*you’re” after being told

“Your stupid!”? But news flash: This is not

going to change the opinion of—or find

common ground with—your opponent.

It’s just going to bully them further.
Language is a constantly-changing

structure, and the English language in

particular is a very confusing one. Even

those of us who have it as a native language

don’t remember every single rule. Much

of today’s English formalities stem from

a narrow British interpretation. It is not

our jobs to enforce these structures, and

doing so only makes you look like a jerk.

One who polices grammar structures
and finds the need to correct others is
often called a known as a “Grammar
Nazi.” The Nazis were an organization
responsible for some of the most horrible
crimes of the 2oth century, including
the genocide of millions of people. To
be a Nazi is literally one of the worst
things you can be, as they advocate the
deaths of anyone who does not fit their
twisted definition of racial purity.

Being called a “Nazi” was kind
of funny once upon a time (The Soup
Nazi was one of the greatest Seinfeld
characters ever) but there’s nothing
funny about Nazism. The ideology has
never faded. People sympathetic to
Nazi views and white supremacy have
existed since it was first introduced.
In 2017, the rise of the “alt-right” has
given new legitimacy to Nazism, witha
terrifying resurgence of these ideologies.
Nazis were people that killed others who
were different from them because they
were different from them, and people
who still affect the lives of people today.
It is not a term to be used lightly or to be
joked about. Calling someone a Nazi has
serious implications beyond the word.
Don't be a white supremacist, and don't
push your concept of English on people
who didn't ask. One is much worse, but
neither are appropriate in today’s society.

much different from today. There was

a lot of nihilistic worry that everything

was going up in flames. Today, our

fears are more geared towards global

warming than they are at nuclear war

(though with the current president

and North Korea, nukes remain a

serious concern). The impending

doom is still very real. Many people

today—particularly millennials—have

chosen to simply roast marshmallows

on the fire consuming the globe. We've

resigned ourselves to the fact that

everything is going badly, and we doubt

that we can do anything about it.

The ’80s had a reasonably happy

ending. Nuclear war was

averted, the economy
prospered, and it gave
way to arguably the most
romanticized decade of
all time, the ’90s. We're
still living the 2010s, and
things are looking pretty
bleak. We can hope that
the roasted marshmallows
are delicious, and that
Russia’s tensions with the
President (ah, how history
repeats itself) doesn’t
end up killing us all.